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You'll Be Able To See SOME Of The 'Great American Eclipse' In NYC
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 18, 2017
Modified Jul 18, 2017
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 18, 2017
Modified Jul 18, 2017
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On August 21st, there will be a rare total solar eclipse viewable from certain parts of the United States, called the Great American Eclipse. According to NASA, this is the first time since 1918 that "a total eclipse will cross the entire country, coast-to-coast." As with most cool things that occur in the sky, New York City won't really get to experience it, but we will sort of get to experience it. Jackie Faherty, Senior Scientist in the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, told Gothamist:
NYC is sadly not in the path of totality. We will see a partial eclipse where ~71% of the Sun will be blocked by the Moon. The start of the partial eclipse begins at 1:23 and ends at 4 p.m. with the maximum eclipse occurring at the important hour of 2:44. The American Museum of Natural History will have educators ready to explain the event and will offer eclipse viewing glasses to make sure your eyes are protected so you can safely watch the event.
The best views of the full eclipse will be seen in Oregon, down to South Carolina, and those areas are reportedly seeing Airbnbs and hotels booking up for front row seats to the "fascinating and wondrous" experience. But NASA says that "weather permitting, the entire continent will have the opportunity to view an eclipse as the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow on Earth’s surface."
They add that the total solar eclipse will begin on August 21st at 1:15 p.m. EST in Lincoln City, Oregon, and end at 2:48 EST near Charleston, South Carolina—"the partial eclipse will start earlier and end later, but the total eclipse itself will take about one hour and 40 minutes to cross the country." Here's the path:
Some helpful links:
- More details on the AMNH's eclipse event can be found here.
- The American Astronomical Society has even set up a page for those who are willing to travel for the total eclipse experience—you can find that here.
- And finally, NASA has set up a dedicated website to the Great American Eclipse, which includes tips on throwing an eclipse party, and more importantly how to safely view the thing. You'll need "special-purpose solar filters, such as 'eclipse glasses' or hand-held solar viewers." You can find a whole bunch on Amazon, of course.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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